International Business and Strategy

This module is concerned with the critical choices that organisations face in order to survive and gain sustainable competitive advantage in an international environment with rapid economic, regulatory and technological changes. To understand and critically evaluate these choices and their strategic dimension requires analysis of the environment in which multinational enterprises operate as well as the creation of know-how value at a business and corporate level.

Cross border mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are an increasingly important force in shaping economies, restructuring industries and revitalising organisations. Accounting for trillions of dollars in spend and affecting various stakeholders (e.g., employees, customers. supplies, shareholders), it is important to consider the motivations, processes and impacts of cross border M&A.

Drawing upon concepts in International Business, Corporate Strategy, Business Analytics and Cross National Management, the main strategies for engaging in M&A, the practices involved in deal closure and the post acquisition integration process shall be examined across a variety of national contexts.

This module consists of two components: research methods and dissertation. The research methods taught component is designed to equip you with the additional research techniques and analytical tools necessary to undertake your dissertation which may be company based. The dissertation component consists of an extended piece of supervised independent research of around 15,000 words on a topic relating to some aspect of your master's programme. You choose your topic in the Lent Term. The focus of the dissertation is normally on issues raised in the core modules but may tackle areas of interest revealed in the optional modules that you wish to investigate in further depth. There is also the opportunity to undertake a company-based project.

This module aims to develop a good understanding of the international business environment. This is undertaken with reference to a critical assessment of globalisation and a subsequent focus on international trade. Students are introduced to the principal theories of international trade and political economy so as to better understand the international environment in which firms operate. The emphasis is placed on understanding the strategies of firms in an ever more globalised world economy. The material will be presented mostly from an applied perspective (i.e. with facts) to bring the economic theoretical apparatus into real-life situations.

This innovative capstone module comprises a set of lectures and workshops and culminates in a simulated full-day ‘Strategy Summit’. The lecture syllabus will deal with advanced topics in strategy practice and process in multi-business and multi-national firms and builds on the diverse modules delivered in Terms 1 and 2.

The Strategy Summit event simulates a corporate strategy process in a real-world multinational, multidivisional firm. The event creates an environment that calls on students to apply ideas developed in lectures and workshops and, importantly, to reflect on what they are doing in the process. Students work in teams, taking on the role of key actors in the process, e.g. top management team, middle managers, division or subsidiary managers, consultants, unions, regulators, shareholders, media actors, etc.

The module provides students with the opportunity to integrate their learning on the programme and to develop a variety of professional and personal capabilities.

Assessment comprises:

• interim group report;
• group presentation/performance at the Summit;
• individual reflective essay.

Managing the multinational firm complements the “building competitive advantage” module which mainly covers business-level strategy. The scope of multinational firms goes beyond specific product/market combinations. As such, Managing the Multinational Firm is about coordinating and orchestrating various businesses and goes beyond industry analysis, strategic positioning, or competitive advantages. Simply, the module focuses on the corporate-level strategy of multinational firms.

This module complements the academic content of the programme by helping you develop important career skills such as how to present yourself on the job market and business presentation skills. The ability to present complex data in a clear, concise and convincing way is an important skill for business graduates, and in this module, we offer you the opportunity to learn and practice presentations in a safe environment.

This module aims to provide a broad overview of qualitative and quantitative approaches as used in management research, together with an understanding of the different research paradigms. This module prepares you for the independent research you will undertake for your final research project.

Strategic purpose is key to organisational success. Businesses driven by purpose outperform the market over the medium to long term because they do not exclusively focus on profits. Strategic purpose requires consideration of how quality, customer satisfaction, productivity, human resource policies, and corporate social responsibility affect value creation. In this module, you will explore responsible leadership and its links to strategic purpose.

Businesses typically experience critical phases of change, causing turmoil. Managers and entrepreneurs must respond appropriately to sustain business competitiveness and survival. You will learn entrepreneurial leadership and change management skills for managing common change scenarios such as start-up, growth, business turn-around, and organisational crisis.

Family businesses are all around us, yet we often lack a good understanding of what makes them unique and sustainable. Family businesses range from large multinationals such as Walmart, Samsung, and Lego to resilient small businesses. In this module, you will learn how to work entrepreneurially and professionally in family firms to achieve long-term growth and performance.